Grain loader



. 5, 1944. J. N. FEES GRAIN LOADER Filed July 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1v as c bfifl AZ F966 5/ v (Ittorneg Dec. 5,1944. J N FEES 2,364,282

GRAIN LOADER Filed July 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet'Z 3nvemor JE/m /l FeesPatented Dec. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAIN LOADER John N.Fees, Spokane, Wash. Application July 19, 1943, Serial No. 495,320

4 cans. (01. 198-9) This invention relates to a conveyor and it is Oneobject of the invention to provide a portable conveyor which isparticularly adapted for removing grain or the like from a pile, bin,building, or other storage place and carry the'grain upwardly fordumping it into a wagon or other conveyance used for transporting thegrain from one place to another.

Another object of the invention'is to so form the conveyor that it ma beeasily moved from one place to another and progressively advanced towarda pile of grain as the grain is removed from the pile and deposited inwagons.

Another object of the invention is to provide the conveyor with a frameor carriage carrying the conveyor trough and also carrying a motor fordriving the conveyor in the trough and a fuel tank for the motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary conveyormounted at the front of the frame or carriage in cooperating relation tothe main conveyor, the auxiliary conveyor being tiltable vertically toadjusted positions so that grain may be removed from a point close tothe bottom of a pile or at a point above the ground or floor upon whichthe grain rests.

Another object of the invention is to provide the auxiliary conveyorwith a counterweight and thus make it easy to raise the auxiliaryconveyor to elevated position and support it in adjusted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable conveyor whichis simple in construction, cheap to make, and not liable to becomedamaged when subjected to rough usage.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved conveyor.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a supplementary screw conveyor applied to theauxiliary conveyor for removing grain from a bin or small building.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken transverselythrough the supplementary screw conveyor on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig, 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken longitudinallythrough-the main conveyor on the line 6--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the lowerportion of the main conveyor on the line 'I-[ of Fig. 2.

, Thiselevator has a frame I consisting of a carriage 2 provided at oneend with upstanding bars 3 and at its other end with posts 4 whichextend downwardly below the frame to formfeet 5 and are connected withthe frame by plates '6 which also connect the carriage and posts withside rails or walls 1 of a conveyor trough 8. The trough extendsforwardly at an upward incline and is supported on upper ends of thesupports 3 with its forward portion projecting from the frame at such aheight that it will extend over a wagon box when a wagon is driven underthe projecting portion of the conveyor. The trough is braced by struts 9located substantially midway the length of the carriage, it beingunderstood that additional struts and braces may be provided ifnecessary. An engine If! is mounted on the forward portion of thecarriage and above the engine is a fuel tank II carried by the supports3. Bars I2 extend horizontally above the rear portion of the conveyortrough with their inner front ends secured to side rails of the troughand their rear portions secured to the posts 4 and projecting rearwardlytherefrom to form handles I3. By grasping the handles, the frame may betilted and rolled upon wheels at the front end of the carriage from oneplace to another and then brought to a stop with the feet 5 resting onthe ground to support the rear end of th machine and prevent it fromshifting out of its proper position. A spout at the upper end of thetrough extends outwardly therefrom at adownward incline so that graindelivered from the conveyor will be directed into a wagon under theconveyor.

The conveyor trough may be of any length desired and, at its upper end,carries bearings I6 which rotatably receive a shaft I1 extending acrossthe upper end of the conveyor trough. This shaft carries a large pulleyI8 at one end and also carries sprocket wheels I9 about which aretrained side chains 20 of an endless conveyor having the usual crossplates 2| for moving grain upwardly through the trough. Strips 20'support the upper flight of the endless conveyor. A drive shaft 22extends across the trough adjacent upper ends of the supports 3 and isrotatably mounted in bearings 23. At one end, the drive shaft carries apulley 24 about which is trained abelt 25 for transmitting rotarymotionto shaft I'l. At its other end, the drive shaftcarries a pulley 26 aboutwhich is trained a belt 21, and this belt is trained about the pulley 28of the engine I0. Since the pulley 26 is smaller than pulley 21 andpulley 24 is smaller than pulley I8, there will be an appreciablereduction in speed between the engine shaft and the shaft l6 and theendless conveyor will be moved through the trough at an approprlatespeed. A belt tightener 29' engages belt 24 and a similar tightener maybe provided for the belt 21.

Lower ends of the endless chains 20 of the conveyor are engaged aboutsprocket wheels 29 carried by a shaft 30 which is rotatably mountedthrough bearings 3| at outer ends of bars 32.

These bars 32 extend longitudinally of the co nveyor trough inrearwardly projecting relation thereto and their inner ends are mountedon :a shaft 33 which is rotatably received in bearings 34 carried-by theside walls or rails of the trough 8. It will thus be seen that the bars32 will be pivotally mounted and may be swung vertically to adjustedpositions. In order to accomplish vertL 1 i cal adjustment of the bars32 there has been provided a shaft 35 about which are wrapped cables 36having portions extending downwardly therefrom and secured to links 31carried by the bars 32, The cables extend forwardly from the shaft 35and are engaged with guide pulleys 38 from which they extend downwardlyandhave weights 3!! servingas counterweights for the bars 32. A handwheel .40 is fixed to the s a t 35 and W CIl this wheel is turned theshaft 35 will be rotated and the cables shifted longitudinally to raiseor lower the .bars 32,-w,here they will-be held .by action of thecounterweights. Ashoe or lip 4| is secured against lower portions of thesupports 4 and projects outwardly under the sprockets .23 and portionsof the s rocket chains 2.0 trained about them, and, from an inspectionof Figs. ,1 and 7, it will be seen that this lhp will readily enter apile of grain and alsodirect grainengaged by the blades 21 to the lowerendof the trough 8, up which itis then carried to the spout Hi. The shoeor lip projectsfrom o osite sides of the auxiliary frame ,fQr-med bybars :32 and carries .scre-w conveyors 4,2 which feed ,grain ,inwardlytoward the shoe for en agement by the blades 22 of the endless conveyor.At-timesdtis desired .to remove from .a bin or :buildingi43 hav ing asmall entrance which will-not accommodate the front end of the grainelevator. ln such cases-an auxiliary troughhavi-ng feeti45 is'xGQI-lnected with an end of the ,shoe M abyboltspassed through ears 46.The screw -.con,ve y,or '42 upon this end .of shaft ,30 is remoyedandthe ,sleeve tubularshaft 41 of thescrew propeller secured .to the shaft:30 bysetscrews lfi. This elongated screw propeller extends the fulllength of t ugh 44 and the trough extends intosthe binior build- ,ing431a (distance sufiicient that thegrain therein may beeonveyedoutwardlyto the-shoe and along the shoe .to the central portion thereofwhe e it will be engaged by .the blades 21 and-carriedup the trough $8.The auxiliary, troughs and room v veyors may alsobe applied whenremoyin-g grain from large piles and conveying the grainqto the endlessconveyor. 4

Having thus described the invention, wh t :is

claimed is:

1. A grain elevator comprising .main frame, :a trough carried by said:ma-in gf-rame and .extending rearwardly .at an upward incline, anauxiliary frame projecting from th -front end-of the main frameand;having,its inneriendipiyoted to the lower end of said troughforvertioalswing- .ing movement to angul rly di edgnosition a shoe at theouter end .of-said auxiliary drama a shaft rotatably mounted .acrosstheunperrend of said trough, ashaft rotatablyimounted across the-lowerouter endofthe auxiliary frame above said shoe, an endless conveyorextending long tudinally through the trough-and; the auxiliary frame andtrained about said shafts, an adjusting shaft rotatably mounted acrossthe main frame over said auxiliary frame, guides at opposite sldes .ofsaid trough, cables connected to opposite sides of said auxiliary frameand extending upwardly therefrom and wound about said adjusting shaftand having portions extending therefrom and engaged with said guides andextending downwardly from the guides, counterweightsfor said auxiliaryframe suspended from the depending ends of said cables, and means forimparting rotary motion to the upper shaft and moving saidendlessconveyor through said trough.

-2. A grain elevator comprising a main frame, a

trough carried by said main frame and extending rearwardly at an upwardincline, an auxiliary frame projecting from the front end of the mainframe and having its inner end pivoted to the lower end of said troughfor vertical swinging movement to angularly adjusted positions, a shaftrotatably mounted across the upper end or ,said trough, a shaft rottably m unt d ooross th w r outerendor theauxilia rameea end essconveyor extending lonsitudmally th ough th tro h and the auxiliary frmeand tra ned ab ut d shaft n a iustlng. s aft mounted across the mainframe over said auxiliary frame, a pulley at a side of said trough, acable attached to the auxiliary frame and extending upwardly therefromand wrapped about ,the adjusting shaft and then extendingtherefromrearwardly of the main frame and-engaged with thepulley with its innerend portion exten in downwardly from the pul y, a counterwe ht .at theinner end .ofsa cable, a drive shaft rotatably mounted across saidtrough. pullers e rned by one end of said drive, shaft andthe sha t at.the upp end .o said trough, a belt trained about said pulleys, a motoron said main frameat the rear end of its lower porti n, p l ys .carriedbthe motor and he other end of the ,driYe shaft, and a belt trained aboutthe ,last mentioned pulleys f r transmitting o ary motion ..fr.omsaidmotor tosaid dr ve shaft.

.3. A grain .el vat roomnri in a mainframe. a trough carried by saidmainframe and extending earward y at an upward inc ine, a auxil arframe.- proi ctingf om thefront end of the main .frameand havineitsinnerend p v t d to th lower end of said trou h f vertical swin ingmo ementto angularly adjusted positions, a shoeat the outer end of said-auxiliarf am a sha t rotatablymonnteda r ss the u p ndofsa t ough, ashaftr tatbl mounted acr s thelowe o t r end of the auxiliary f ame o e said 5.199,,

an endless conveyor extending longitudinally th ou h the troug and theauxilia y fra e a trained about said shafts, a shoe carried by the in frm an proiectingiherefrom u dert .lower shaft and from oppos te sides oth out r end of said auxiliary frame, an auxiliary tr u h alined withone end o said shoe a d ,deta hahly secu edthe et a d p o e ing from a sde of t mainframe, a screw conveyor ,rotatably mounted in said auxili rytr ugh. and having .a tubu sh t detaohab y se uredah u .theadlacenteud ption of s al ower shaf .and...m ans for i pa ting i tarxmotion' tothauppe shaftand mov said endl ss conveyo thr u hthe zfi ffitl trough.

4. In an elevator of'the characteridescribedpa ma nframe, a ma n coveyor ca ried y s d mainfram andie te d n .rearwardly a ean u wardincline, an auxiliary ,convQyor pivoted ,adi cent t e lowe nd of he. minrconveyor a prqiectinafmmthefrom: endof the/11min frame.

shaft and other portions extending rearwardly therefrom and trainedabout the pulley wheels with their inner end portions extendingdownwardly from the pulley wheels, weights suspended from inner ends ofsaid cables, and a wheel carried by said adjusting shaft for rotatingthe shaft and moving the cables longitudinally for vertically adjustingthe position of the auxiliary conveyor.

JOHN N. FEES.

